Removing the carpet FROM HELL

[Bungalove]

My husband is the bravest man ever. This past week he tore up the carpet in the dining room of our 1916 house. We had to pick one room to start in, and this one was by far the worst, both in looks and stench. Previous occupants, renters, obviously let their dog do its business wherever it pleased. Carpet absolutely reeked.

The floor underneath is rough but we've seen worse. There's a 7' x 10' center area of Douglas-fir, which would have been local and cheaper back in the day, probably meant to be covered with a rug, with a 30" border of maple all the way around. What looks like drops of white paint is actually plaster, which is cleaning up fairly easily.

Hope I'm not grossing anyone out with the pic of the back of the carpet. It made me want to barf!

[Bungalove]

p.s. The Doug-fir is very, very dry. Suggestions for a finish for it? I don't want polyurethane, which can look so plastic or shrink-wrapped. thx

[Sow's Ear Mal]

I get that you don't want that 'golden pine' look. But you do have a very warm tone going on with the other wood flooring. I find the Minwax poly is fairly acceptable, not so plastic or shrink-wrapped looking if you keep it to two coats. The fir is a rough surface, with hard resinous streaks mixed with softer, more absorbent and lighter streaks. I'd apply wood conditioner first, then a light tone-matching stain and then some poly. It's a floor, not fine antique furniture. Practicality has to play a part. I'd love to have just wax on my pine floor but reality dictates that I apply a more dirt-resistant finish. Just me, Mal

[Neighmond]

I would oil that fir. It has the added bonus of being easy on your area rugs and keeps them from slipping round so bad.

Try 50/50 turpentine and boiled linseed oil, and keep putting on till the floor won't drink any more.

[Bungalove]

Thank you VERY much for the wood treatment suggestions. The Doug fir is so dry I suspect we'll hear "Glug, glug" noises when we treat it.

[heartwood]

i prefer oil as it is more 'natural', it penetrates and conditions the wood and additonal coats can easily be applied when needed without removing or sanding prior coats...

we purchase our boiled linseed oil and turps from these folks...they also sell a boiled linseed oil and tung oil mix which may work for your purposes... http://www.tarsmell.com/products.html

what's that smell??

...jade

[Bungalove]

Update: This fall hubby removed similar dirty gray carpet from the adjoining living room. It didn't smell or look nearly as bad but was bad enough. The living room floor is the same -- Douglas-fir center with maple border.

We've lived for some months now with part of the center of the dining room floor exposed (there's a smaller rug in the very center, under our table) and have decided that the wood is just not that great and we're going to buy larger rugs to cover all the Doug-fir. Really, that's what was intended -- put cheaper wood in the center where it would be covered up. The maple is quite lovely, though.

[Don M]

Update: This fall hubby removed similar dirty gray carpet from the adjoining living room. It didn't smell or look nearly as bad but was bad enough. The living room floor is the same -- Douglas-fir center with maple border.

We've lived for some months now with part of the center of the dining room floor exposed (there's a smaller rug in the very center, under our table) and have decided that the wood is just not that great and we're going to buy larger rugs to cover all the Doug-fir. Really, that's what was intended -- put cheaper wood in the center where it would be covered up. The maple is quite lovely, though.

That's exactly right & the best plan!

[Bungalove]

Thank you, Don. We wanted to live with it a bit before making any decisions. Of course, the Doug-fir has been or will be restored and treated, but it's just not for showing.

[Texas_Ranger]

Smelly carpets are really the worst! A friend of mine once moved into a place that had kitty litter carpet from the 70s in one room. When we set on to rip it out we discovered that it was glued down with something superglue-like. We ended up breaking the chipboard below and tearing the screws (2" drywall screws) out of the original pine floor using two prybars and a 6' length of 3/4" gas pipe. The original floor was beyond saving, unfortunately.